What Matching Headings questions test
This type tests skimming for gist and identifying topic sentences. A correct heading reflects what the whole paragraph is about, not just a fact, name or example mentioned within it.
Step-by-step strategy
- 1Read the list of headings first so you know the options, and notice how they differ from one another — often two headings are deliberately similar.
- 2Read the first paragraph and ask yourself: "In one sentence, what is this paragraph mainly saying?" before you look back at the headings.
- 3Match your own summary to the closest heading; the topic sentence (frequently the first or last sentence) usually signals the main idea.
- 4Cross out each heading as you use it, and if two paragraphs seem to fit the same heading, re-read both to find the finer distinction.
- 5Leave the hardest paragraphs until last — solving the easy ones first removes options and narrows the choices for the difficult ones.
Common traps to avoid
- Picking a heading because it repeats a word from the paragraph, when that word only appears in a minor detail.
- Choosing a heading that describes just one example or sentence rather than the paragraph’s overall point.
- Being caught between two similar headings — the examiner writes them to test whether you grasp the precise emphasis.
- Forgetting that some headings are distractors and will never be correct.
Timing advice
Skim each paragraph in about a minute; do not read every word. Because headings do not run in a fixed order, tackle the paragraphs whose main idea is clearest first and use elimination for the rest.